Improvement in water-gates



`for the admission of water into the race.

UNITED STATES PATENT @Prion DAVID J. MOFFITT, OF THORNTOWN, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-GATES.

To all whom it may concer-n:

Be it known that I, DAVID J. MOFFITT, of Thorntown, in the county ofBoone and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvementin SelAdjusting Water-Gates; and I do declare that the following is atrue and ac curate description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon, andbeing a part of this speciiication, in which my invention is shown inperspective.

. The natiue of this invention relates to an improved self -adjustingWater-gate, so arranged that, as the Water rises, the Water will be cutoft' from the race, so that the danger of freshets washing and injuring`the race is avoided, and so that, as the Waterfalls, it may be let intothe raceor, in other Words, a gate that will automatically regulate theflow of Water throughl the race. The invention consists in thecombination and arrangement of the various parts, constructed as morefully hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawing, A represents the head of a race, B,provided with openings C These openings are provided With the usualverticallyoperating gates J, Which are pivoted at their upper ends tothe levers D, which, in turn, are rigidly secured at their longitudinalcenter to a rock-shaft, E, both ends of which are provided with journalsa. G are vertical posts, provided with vertical slots b, within whichthe journals a ofthe rock-shaft have their rocking or semi-rotarymovement, and also, under certain circumstances, a vertical movement. Tothe opposite ends of the levers D, by means of suitable connections, H,is pivoted the boat or 11o-at I Within the race.

Should, from any cause, the water rise in the race beyond the heightdesired, the oat I rises With it, thereby partially closing the gatesand preventing an in'tluX of too much Water in the race, or closing thegates entirely a-nd shutting ofi' the Water from passing through thegates. Should the banks of the race become overflowed in a freshet, ifthe rock-shaft were journaled into the posts in the usual manner therewould be danger from the extraordinary pressure of the water upon thefloat- Which would be prevented by the rigidity ofthe connection fromrising any farther than that point-of sivalnping and tearing away thetloat and its connections. To avoid this and allow the iioat to restupon the surface of the Water, no matter how much the rise, therock-shaft is journaled into the slots in the posts, as beforedescribed.

That I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

The combination of the tloat I, the levers D, the rock-shaft E pivotedin the slots b in the posts G, and the gates J, all constructed,arranged, and operating substantially as described and shown, for thepurposes set'forth.`

DAVID J. MOFFITT.

Titnesses ROBERT LAVERTY, Josnrn VAN AnsDEL.

